Several dead after falling rocks in a tourist lake in Brazil

Published on : 01/10/2022 – 02:28

At least ten people were killed on Saturday in Brazil when a section of cliff gave way before falling on boats sailing on Lake Furnas, a very touristy place in the state of Minas Gerais (south-east), according to a report communicated on Sunday January 9 by the regional police officer in Passos, Marcos de Souza Pimenta.

The victims, Brazilian, were between 14 and 68 years old, according to preliminary elements of the investigation. They were part of the same group of relatives and friends who were in the boat that suffered the most impact in the landslide, according to firefighters.

Not all of the bodies were intact, Marcos de Souza Pimenta said.

The last two people still missing were found dead on Sunday by the emergency services. The body of a third missing was found by firefighters on Saturday.

Among the thirty wounded, nine were hospitalized, according to the firefighters who intervened on the spot with various equipment and a brigade of divers.

An accident favored by intense rains

At midday on Saturday, a large fragment of rock broke away from its wall and fell on three boats sailing on Furnas Lake, a site popular for its green waters and spectacular parade of rock walls.

In dramatic footage shared on social media, the exact moment the rock mass breaks away and falls on the three boats can be seen, causing panic among passengers watching the scene on other boats.

On other recordings, just before the tragedy, we see people issuing warnings saying “a lot of stones are falling” and calling on the occupants of the boats to move away from the wall.

The intense rains that have fallen in recent days in southeastern Brazil have favored the accident, according to firefighters. Two hours before the disaster, civil protection had recommended avoiding stunts.

President Jair Bolsonaro shared some of the videos of the accident on social media, praising the work of the Brazilian Navy which, “as soon as the unfortunate disaster struck,” moved to the site and moved on. employed to “rescue the victims and transport the wounded”.

With AFP